Union Says CTA Workers OK Preliminary Strike Vote

By
Associated Press

July 10, 2017, 8:57 PM UTC

The union that represents Chicago Transit Authority train workers says their membership has voted in favor of a preliminary strike if needed.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308 officials on Monday said a third of its membership voted and 98 percent were in favor of the strike. Union officials say members have been working without a contract for 18 months. The union didn't say when a strike would take place. WLS-TV in Chicago reports that the CTA says service won't be affected.

The union says pay raises and vacation days are at issue. The CTA says union workers in Chicago are the second-highest paid nationally.

The CTA says the union's contract with the agency "prohibits its members from striking." The union and the CTA have submitted the matter to arbitration, which is ongoing.